Publishing Exodus Continues: Friedman Out at HarperCollins

Is NewsCorp cleaning house? Word came down late last night that HarperCollins (the book-publishing arm of News Corp.) CEO Jane Friedman is out and being replaced by her second in command Brian Murray.

Freidman has been head of HarperCollins for ten years and gained a certain notoriety when her clashes with Judith Regan resulted in Regan’s firing. She said in a statement “My 10 years at HarperCollins have been far and away the most rewarding of my career, and so it was not easy to make the decision to step down.” No word on whether she was assisted in making said decision. It’s no secret the publishing industry is suffering these days; Friedman’s dismissal follows closely of the heels of Random House head Peter Olson’s departure last month.